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Creator God, in the beginning, you formed us from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into our lungs. This breath is yours to give and to take. We give you thanks for this precious gift. As we enter into Lent and prepare ourselves to recreate once again the death of your Son Jesus Christ on the cross and to celebrate His triumphant resurrection, help us to remember that, for the departed, death is not the end, but a joyful beginning.

Pain bearer be with those who remain and whose sorrow fills their hearts with grief and loneliness. It’s been three years since the pandemic started this deluge of death. As we age and more loved ones die, this heaviness grows deeper and deeper. Gracious God we are weary of death and the sadness it brings. We pray you will help us find new ways to engage with dying, to speak about death, and to deal with its consequences. Knowing that we will all return to the dust, we beseech you Sustainer God to open for us unexpected and positive visions for accepting this bitter truth.

God of consolation, we offer prayers of gratitude for the people in our lives who accompany the dying and who offer support in times of sorrow. May their words of sympathy, time spent with mourners, and kind gestures be beacons of comfort and light. We pray for those who lack such blessings and are alone at their time of death or in their grief for lost loved ones. We beseech you Gracious God to bring people into their lives at this moment of need and we give thanks for this special service.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Valerie and Stacey

For more information on AFP-C, contact Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale at valstacey@bell.net

The post The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

Saturday March 18th we will host a Webinar for communities undecided about applying. A panel of experts, including several Day Camp Coordinators, will be on hand to answer your questions.

For summer 2023 we offer “Something to Celebrate!” exploring Parables from the Gospel of Luke. Our program unpacks these parables through songs and games, crafts and liturgical dance all geared to campers of 4-12 years. CTM offers two different models:

• The Backyard Package is designed for a church to share via a secure link with participating families. It includes five 2 ½ hour sessions to be presented at times/days suited to each family from the security of their own backyards.

• The Super Day Camp comprises five units each of 5 hours of activities. This package provides you with a detailed Planner taking you through the process of recruiting volunteers, collecting supplies and encouraging the whole church family to be involved, plus access to a “mentor” who will join your set-up and daily debrief meetings via an online platform as well as offering support via text message throughout your Day Camp week.

In Addition we also offer-

• The Extended Day Package for communities wishing to offer additional activities, stretching the Super Day Camp program to a full 8-hour day.

Both packages include digital copies of promotional and program materials. The Super Day Camp package also includes a comprehensive training video for volunteers plus optional mentor support.
Whatever your community’s situation, one of these programs can help ensure that the children of your church family, and wider community have “Something to Celebrate!” for summer 2023.

Visit www.crosstalkministries.ca to access the Day Camp Application form or contact us at office@crosstalkministries.ca to receive a pdf version or to sign up for the free webinar.

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When one of our members moved into a group home I initially kept in touch with cards/letters and then later with walks to chat and get coffee. He often calls the Mission, and I was happy to bring him cigarettes and the goodies we know he likes.

This contact led to me preparing 18 Christmas stockings for the residents at the home as well as bringing them treats for special occasions. In the near future, when it is safe, I will be presiding at a small eucharist for those who wish to attend. The home’s social worker is very thankful to me and the Mission – saying how appreciative the residents are that they are remembered by the outside world.

I was able to prepare another 51 stockings for Mission folks, including one that was delivered to a former member now in a Vermont nursing home, one for her roommate, and several others for people we know who are alone. I fill the stockings with candies, decorations, socks from the Mission, and other needed articles. Missy helped pack the last few things including two large Christmas cookies from Première Moisson. The stockings were handed out with the Christmas baskets.

Ministry has taken different forms during covid – but it has always been creative at the Mission, adapting to the needs of the community, which of course includes the staff. This year I supported the staff with phone calls, and a special gift bag at Christmas with a thank you for their dedication, love, and commitment to Mission members. I also emailed creative liturgies to Mission folks. And finally, I led a special service during Advent called Blue Christmas — we sat in a circle, lit candles, remembered those whom we love who have died and whom we especially miss at Christmastime. It was peaceful and beautiful.

With the help of four friends and Mission folks we held a dinner for 12 Mission members on Christmas Day. We worked together peeling and cooking veggies, preparing stuffing (Julio, the expert), arranging the tables attractively (Lise and others). Lori and Doris prepared the turkey and there were yummy baked goods from friends. The dinner was intimate, quiet and joyful.

It has been disappointing not to be able to be more physically involved at the Mission during the pandemic. I look forward to a return to in-person ministry.

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In a recent article Kristof writes about a kid from the slums in Kenya; Kennedy Odede ran away from home, taught himself to read, saved 20c and bought a soccer ball, and, with this humble start, he encouraged the inhabitants of his slum to play soccer. He then organised a group, SHOFCO, (Shining Hope for Communities) helping underprivileged communities to work together to improve their future. Kennedy’s philosophy is ‘Any solution is always more successful when there is a feeling of ownership in the community.’

This philosophy of Kennedy’s underlies the PWRDF Indigenous Responsive program grants. PWRDF is establishing a bank of money to which indigenous communities can apply for a grant to fund a project determined by themselves.

The Montreal Unit of PWRDF has chosen this project to support in 2022- 2023 and is actively raising money for this bank to which Indigenous Communities may apply. Our local project is being called Decolonizing Fundraising to emphasise that this approach puts the ownership firmly on the local community. Colonials tend to see programs of aid as their own programs, even if they have local input.

In the days when religious affiliations were more common there used to be a saying ‘The family who prays together stays together’. Today this might be replaced by ‘The community that works together grows together.’ Your Montreal PWRDF team hopes that we in our communities and congregations can work together to raise funds to donate to PWRDF’s Indigenous Responsive Program Grants.

Material for the project has been distributed.

You can support this program by making a designated gift through your church or directly to PWRDF at pwrdf.org/Indigenousgrants, or indicate Indigenous Grant on your cheque and mail it to: PWRDF, 80 Hayden St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2.

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Along with countless others, we were saddened to hear the news of Marcel De Hêtre’s passing on November 11, 2022 at the age of 57. Most might remember Marcel De Hêtre as a friend, partner or gifted tenor. For us at the Diocesan Office he was a beloved and talented co-worker.

From 2001 until 2013, Marcel worked as the Bishop’s Secretary, Webmaster and Front Desk Manager. According to his longtime partner, Laura Prince, “He loved his job at the Diocese. It was a perfect match for him…. His quirky sense of humour worked with most of the priests  in the Diocese and the job allowed him to combine music and liturgy, which is what he knew, what he grew up with and what he loved.”

Both bishops he served under allowed Marcel the flexibility to continue singing in professional choirs, which of course was his passion.

While he didn’t sing much in the office, there was one song he performed with some regularity, called Macaroni Delight. The song was co-written by Marcel and myself and sung to the tune of Afternoon Delight by the Starland Vocal Band. It was reserved for those days when someone in the office had macaroni for lunch. Although this was years ago, I still think of him when I take a package of macaroni out of my pantry.

I asked my coworkers to share their own memories:

“As a priest in the diocese, I remember Marcel’s dry and quirky humour, his kindness in helping me navigate some word processing, and the beautiful translations into French of some of the hymns we sang at Diocesan services. Marcel always knew the answer to our questions. I will always remember the beautiful and meaningful funeral service Marcel planned and the extraordinary witness of his faith in the music he chose.“    – Bishop Mary

“Marcel’s sense of humor came in handy when he helped coordinate office pranks. I remember one instance when a colleague was away, we took a whole lot of file boxes and built a wall around their desk! He was also a marvel when it came to creatinginteractive forms and was patient in helping me figure things out.” – Ardyth Robinson

“My memories of Marcel go back to when I was a student at McGill, having moved to Montreal and made Christ Church Cathedral my home parish. Marcel was a member of the choir and at parish events, he was always friendly and poking gentle fun to make you feel like part of the “gang.” When I joined the Programme Office, Marcel joined the Bishop’s Office where his collegial sense of humour broke the ice and made you feel like part of the family. I will always remember Marcel for his sense of humour and compassion.” – The Ven Robert Camara

“As his successor, I had big shoes to fill. Marcel was the ultimate perfectionist, and I was very much in awe of his depth of knowledge. He had an amazing sense of humor too. I will miss his voice and his sharp wit.” – Mary Abate

“He knew everything about things like how to address the clergy, which can be intimidating to a non-Anglican coming into the job. He always took the time to answer my many questions.” – Jennifer James-Phillips

“Marcel and I shared a love of the Montreal Canadiens. We often reminisced about the glory days of the Habs during the 1970’s and 1980’s and lamented their playoff failures of the past two decades. We looked forward to a Stanley Cup parade and joked that when that day came, we would be standing in front of Christ Church Cathedral wearing our jerseys and cheering on our beloved team. The Habs will be winning the Stanley Cup in near future. I will be at the parade and I will be thinking of my friend, Marcel, who will be looking down from Heaven, yelling “Go Habs Go!”. – Stephen Tam

There is a through line in these memories; he was a man of talent, competence, helpfulness, and humour. I’ll bet he has those angels cracking up right now. Rest in peace dear Marcel.

montrealgazette.remembering.ca

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I am excited to put a spotlight on the work of our diocesan photographer, Janet Best.

As the editor of this paper, as well as a member of the diocesan communications team, I am so grateful to have access to the high quality pictures Janet consistently delivers. Janet’s work elevates our visual impact and makes it easier to tell a story. As Saskia Rowley, the Art Director of the Anglican Journal said recently “Janet takes some of the very best photographs I’ve ever seen.”

Janet is generous with her time and talent, rarely turning down a request to show up at a parochial or diocesan event.

In the pages following this brief interview I have featured some of her favourite diocesan photos. I hope you enjoy them.

When did you start taking pictures?

As a little girl of four or five, I was intrigued by my mother’s photography. She took lots of photos and even developed them in the bathroom. So I would often see photos hanging from a clothes line there.

In the late 1980 early 1990’s I had a wedding video business. With a partner I recorded and edited weddings. I really loved this work. People are in a good mood at weddings, I was introduced to customs from so many different ethnic groups and I learned a lot about composition and working quickly.

I continued to work with video and eventually did some documentaries, several of which played in film festivals. One, The Dust of His Feet, is about Bangladeshi musicians. I directed, filmed and edited all by myself and it played in the Documenting Bangladesh Festival in Dhaka. I edited and did most of the camera work for another, A New Life on the Land: Jewish Farmer in Canada. It played at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and at the Bucharest Jewish Film Festival. The most recent film, The Wonder and Amazement – Rita Briansky on Her Life in Art, which I co-directed, filmed and edited is about a lively 91 year old painter and teacher. It also played at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

How did you become the official diocesan photographer?

I became the official photographer for the Diocese in the summer of 2016. By then I’d been taking photos at the Church of St. John’ the Evangelist for over five years, and some of these photos made their way into the church’s calendar. Bishop Mary saw the calendar, liked the photos and asked me to be the diocesan photographer. I had also photographed her consecration in 2015.

What are the biggest challenges in photographing church events?

​Large events are not necessarily more difficult than smaller ones, but church services are much more difficult than receptions or conferences. They are definitely challenging. People want you to be discrete. In fact, a lot of the time, they probably don’t want to see you at all. But if you are way off on the side, you won’t get decent photos.

Really, a lot of the time the difference between a good photo and a terrible one is location. So I have to compromise where I go. I won’t go way off in the corner but I can’t roam around the altar area either.

​However a good location can end up being a bad one once an event starts. Suddenly a big group of people will come up and block everything. If I were 6’5’’ tall I could have a bird’s eye and it wouldn’t be a problem but I’m not.

​Also churches are often very dark, flash is usually not appreciated and nothing can be repeated for the photographer, so that is also a problem. Luckily, I have a camera that is very good in low light but even it has a problem dealing with some situations

​A problem that does not exist is getting tired. Sometimes people ask me if I’m tired at a shoot, but I never am because taking photos is so involving.

Editor’s note: Following the interview of our Diocesan Photographer, Janet Best, I invited her to share some of her favourite shots from around the diocese. She submitted over a dozen, from which I chose these eight.

“It’s not easy to choose a few favourites out of tens of thousands of photos. Is it the content or the aesthetics that should mainly determine the choice?

One tends to choose pictures that are different from the others, but they may not be better.”

“I’ve included rather a lot of photos from the Church of St. John the Evangelist, since it is the church I attend and see the most. Of course, the choices are in no way a judgement on the value of the people or churches involved.”

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Finalement, j’ai commencé à réfléchir à ce que je suis dans le Christ, en tant qu’enfant de Dieu, une personne aimée qui fait partie de la Création de Dieu. J’ai même pensé à la façon dont Dieu s’est réjoui de tout ce qu’il a créé, et au fait que j’en fais partie. C’était le moment de renouer avec Celui qui m’avait appelée, aimée et sauvée, et c’était très bon !

Le Carême est l’occasion annuelle pour nous tous de nous concentrer sur ce à quoi nous devons faire attention dans notre cheminement de foi, tout comme je l’ai fait pendant mon congé sabbatique. Nous faisons de la place pour être présents à Dieu et à ses desseins : Les desseins de Dieu pour nous, pour notre vie en Christ, pour notre relation avec notre prochain et pour l’environnement. Ralentir et adorer Dieu, et ne pas se contenter de cocher les cases des attentes. Une partie de l’entrée dans le Carême ou le temps du Sabbat consiste à se mettre dans un état d’esprit de louange et de reconnaissance et de confiance en notre place dans les desseins de Dieu. Deux livres m’ont aidée dans mes réflexions: “Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight” de Norman Wirzba, et “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” de Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Je vous remercie de vos prières pour moi pendant mon congé sabbatique. Je prie pour que vous ayez un Carême saint et renouvelé.

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Eventually I began to reflect on who I am in Christ, as a child of God, a beloved person who is part of God’s Creation. I even thought about the way God took delight in all that God had made—and that I am part of that. It was a time to reconnect with the One who had called me and loved me and saved me and it was very good!

Lent is the annual occasion for us all to focus on what we need to pay attention to in our faith journey just as I did on my sabbatical. We make space so that we can be present to God and God’s purposes: God’s purposes for us, for our life in Christ, for our relationship with our neighbour, and for the environment. To slow down and worship God, and not just tick the boxes of expectations. Part of entering into Lent or Sabbath time is getting into a headspace of praise and thanks and trust in our place in God’s purposes. Two books that helped me in my reflections are “Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight” by Norman Wirzba, and “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Thank you for your prayers for me while I was on Sabbath leave. I pray that you will have a holy and renewing Lent.

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